Welcome to Bristol's Christmas Steps Arts Quarter
Our eight unique streets in Bristols old city are lined with independent shops, art galleries, bars, cafes and more than a few surprises, where artisans and creative traders work side by side to keep this diverse corner of Bristol as unusual as it's been throughout its long and intriguing history. When was the last time you took a walk down a different street?
This May - on Saturday 8th - we're returning with our monthly Artisan Market to celebrate the wealth of Bristol's creativity with local makers holding stalls to show off their wares. Having initially held three markets leading up to Christmas for locals and visitors to Bristol we're continuing, now that the warmer months are here, with what proved to be a great experiment and a really well received market. Coming along is also a chance chance for visitors to explore the other great independent businesses in the area.
Almost a year ago on the 25th October 2008 the new Christmas Steps Arts Quarter was named by the Lord Mayor. The area which twists its way through Perry Road, Lower Park Row, Colston Street, St Michael's Hill; the Christmas Steps themselves and the myriad maze of arched alleyways and secret passages is being reborn.
In each of the various galleries: in the glint of a clarinet, under a dusty stack of books, in the whiff of ale and crackled glaze of teapots and clocks, in the wink of an ancient stamp eye; the past both reflects and interacts with the future to create a truly unique area of independent artisans. A visit to the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter is both an illumination of Bristol history and an excursion into its modern treasures
